Legal action fails over Roger Waters’ Chile gigs
The Jewish community of Chile has failed in an appeal to ban Roger Waters from “using elements or issuing comments that incite hatred and anti-Semitism” at his upcoming Santiago concerts.
The 80-year-old former Pink Floyd bassist, who has repeatedly insisted he is not an antisemite, brings his This Is Not a Drill Tour to Estadio Monumental this weekend for two shows from 25-26 November.
In its appeal, the community – which alleges that Waters has a “history of incitement to anti-Semitic hatred” – also called on promoter DG Medios to carry out “all necessary actions” to prevent the musician from making any “Judeophobic” statements.
“The CJCh [Representative Committee of Jewish Entities in Chile] seeks to prohibit him from using elements or issuing comments that incite hatred and anti-Semitism in his concert,” says Jewish community leader Ariela Agosín, as per Merco Press. “It also seeks that the producer [DG Medios] performs all necessary actions to prevent the… events from occurring.
“We are not interested that he stops singing, but that his concerts are not an incitement to hatred, that he does not call for violence, that he does not use anti-Semitic elements. That’s what our actions will be.”
However, Cooperativa reports that the bid has been ruled inadmissible by Santiago’s Court of Appeals as “no facts have been mentioned that could constitute a violation of the constitutional guarantees”.
The community had followed the lead of the Delegation of Argentine Israeli Associations (DAIA), which recently attempted to prevent Waters from performing in Buenos Aires for “discrimination, advocacy of crime and incitement to collective violence”.
According to Infoebae, while the DAIA failed to have the dates cancelled, it succeeded in gaining a ruling from the Argentine authorities that prohibited Waters from uttering anti-Jewish epithets in his concerts at Estadio River Plate on 21-22 November. The Jerusalem Post reports that Waters subsequently dropped his “antisemitic iconography” from his presentation for the Argentina shows.
“A prosecutor was present at both shows and warned the stadium and the production company that she would be attentive if Waters committed a violation of the law”
“A legal firm denounced, together with an affidavit subscribed by myself, that if he did the same show he had been doing on tour, where he dressed as a Nazi, used the Star of David on the flying pig, and compared Abu Shakleh to Anne Frank, that it would be considered a crime,” said SWC Latin America’s director Dr Ariel Gelbung.
“A prosecutor was present at both shows and warned the stadium and the production company that she would be attentive if Waters committed a violation of the law.
“At the same time, the DAIA, the political representation of the Jewish community in Argentina, managed to get a judge to let Waters know that he had to refrain from making antisemitic comments.”
The tour, which wraps up in Quito, Ecuador on 9 December, was subject to controversy earlier this year in Germany, where Frankfurt City Council and the state of Hesse attempted to block Waters performance at Frankfurt’s Festhalle, citing allegations of “persistent anti-Israel behaviour” from Waters, who it claimed was “considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world”.
Waters took legal action, branding the move “unconstitutional”, “without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not”. A German court subsequently ruled the gig should be allowed to go ahead, concluding that blocking it would infringe upon Waters’ free speech rights.
Almost 40,000 people, including artists Eric Clapton, Brian Eno, Nick Mason, Peter Gabriel and Tom Morello, signed a petition demanding the concerts be allowed to proceed.
A cross-party group of politicians in Germany was also unsuccessful in demanding the cancellation of Waters’ gig in Cologne due to his comments on the war in Ukraine.
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Protests at Roger Waters’ Frankfurt concert
A protester stormed the stage with an Israeli flag during Roger Waters’ contentious concert in Frankfurt last night (28 May).
Frankfurt City Council and the state of Hesse had attempted to block the Festhalle performance, citing allegations of “persistent anti-Israel behaviour” from the former Pink Floyd bassist, who it claimed was “considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world”.
However, a German court ruled the gig must be allowed to go ahead, concluding that blocking it would infringe upon the 79-year-old’s free speech rights.
According to The Times of Israel, one protester rushed the stage, while groups of protesters dispersed in the crowd also waved large Israeli flags and briefly sang Am Yisrael Chai (The people of Israel live) while clapping.
Euronews reports that several Jewish groups, politicians and an alliance of civil society groups gathered for a memorial ceremony and a protest rally prior to the concert yesterday evening. The Festhalle was the site of the deportation of 3,000 Jews to their deaths during the Holocaust, just after Kristallnacht.
“Against this historical background, the concert should not have taken place under any circumstances,” says Sacha Stawski, a member of the Frankfurt Jewish community and head of Honestly Concerned, which helped organise the protests.
Waters, who added a string of dates in South America to his This Is Not a Drill Tour last week, took legal action against moves to cancel the show, branding it “unconstitutional”, “without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not”.
“My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me”
Meanwhile, German police are investigating Waters after he wore what appeared to be a Nazi SS uniform during his concert at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin on 17 May. The BBC reports that Waters wore a long black overcoat with a red armband and also aimed an imitation machine gun into the audience. Displaying Nazi symbols is banned in Germany, except for artistic or educational reasons.
“We are investigating on suspicion of incitement to public hatred because the clothing worn on stage could be used to glorify or justify Nazi rule, thereby disturbing the public peace,” says German police spokesman Martin Halweg. “The clothing resembles the clothing of an SS officer.”
Waters has issued a robust defence of his actions.
“My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear and silence me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles,” he says in a statement. “The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms. Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated. The depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows since Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” in 1980.
“I have spent my entire life speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I see it. When I was a child after the war, the name of Anne Frank was often spoken in our house, she became a permanent reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked. My parents fought the Nazis in World War II, with my father paying the ultimate price.
“Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetrate it.”
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Waters set for Ecuador’s biggest rock gig since 95
Roger Waters’ newly announced Ecuador show is set to be the biggest rock gig to hit the country in almost 30 years.
The Pink Floyd co-founder will play the 40,000-cap Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito on 9 December, presented by Move Concerts, DG Medios and Sight Concerts.
The event will be the South American nation’s biggest rock show since Bon Jovi played the venue in 1995 and is currently scheduled to serve as the finale of Waters’ 2022/23 This Is Not a Drill Tour.
Waters has also confirmed a string of “farewell” dates in Latin America as part of the tour, with concerts lined up in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and Colombia.
“The farewell tour of represents a unique opportunity for Costa Rican fans to immerse themselves in an unforgettable show”
“The farewell tour of represents a unique opportunity for Costa Rican fans to immerse themselves in an unforgettable show,” says Move Concerts of the 2 December stop at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San José. “It promises to be an incomparable audiovisual experience, with avant-garde visual effects, a repertoire full of hits and a message that transcends generational barriers.”
Waters’ ticket-selling pedigree in the region is long-established. He previously held the record for the number of stadium concerts in Argentina after playing nine shows at the 65,000-cap Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires during his The Wall Live tour in March 2012, which stood for a decade until being broken by Coldplay last year.
Meanwhile, Waters, who attracted criticism for wearing a Nazi-inspired uniform at a concert in Berlin last week, is due to perform at Frankfurt Festhalle on Sunday (28 May). Frankfurt City Council and the state of Hesse had attempted to block the performance, citing allegations of “persistent anti-Israel behaviour” from Waters, who it claimed was “considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world”.
However, the Frankfurt administrative court has concluded that blocking the show would infringe upon Waters’ free speech rights.
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German court rules Roger Waters show can go ahead
The controversy over Roger Waters’ Frankfurt Festhalle concert has taken another twist after a German court ruled the show must be allowed to go ahead.
Frankfurt City Council and the state of Hesse had attempted to block the 28 May performance, citing allegations of “persistent anti-Israel behaviour” from the Pink Floyd co-founder, who it claimed was “considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world”.
However, according to national broadcaster DW, the Frankfurt administrative court has concluded that blocking the show would infringe upon the 79-year-old’s free speech rights. It found that although Waters’ show borrowed symbolism linked to national socialism, it could not see that he was “glorifying or qualifying Nazi deeds”, or identifying with Nazi racial ideology. There was also no indication that he would be using Nazi propaganda during the event.
The court agreed that it may be in “especially poor taste” to allow Waters to perform at the Festhalle, which was the site of the deportation of 3,000 Jews to their deaths during the Holocaust, just after Kristallnacht. But it added that it “not be injurious to the human dignity of those people”.
DW adds that the city and state are expected to appeal the court’s decision.
More than 35,000 people have signed a petition demanding Waters’ upcoming German dates be allowed to go ahead
Waters said last month that he was taking legal action against the move to cancel the concert, branding it “unconstitutional”, “without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not”.
Last week, he issued a further statement on social media, insisting he was pressing ahead with his plans to play the show.
“Frankfurt Council were legally required to respond to Roger Waters’ interim injunction by midnight April 14. Did they? Nobody knows,” he said. “We can only guess at what’s going on in Frankfurt. Are they playing for time? Who knows? Not that it matters much. We’re coming anyway! Because human rights matter! Because free speech matters!”
American journalist Katie Halper launched a petition demanding for Waters’ upcoming concerts in Germany to be allowed to go ahead. More than 35,000 people have now signed the petition, with high-profile signatories including artists Eric Clapton, Brian Eno, Nick Mason, Peter Gabriel and Tom Morello.
A similar row is ongoing regarding the other German dates on Waters’ current This Is Not a Drill tour, which include Barclays Arena in Hamburg (7 May), Cologne’s Lanxess Arena (9 May), Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin (17-18 May) and Munich’s Olympiahalle (21 May).
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Roger Waters vows to play Frankfurt gig
Roger Waters says he is pressing ahead with his planned Frankfurt performance next month, despite the city’s attempts to cancel the show.
Waters’ Festhalle date on 28 May, which forms part of the German leg of his This Is Not a Drill tour, has become shrouded in controversy over allegations of antisemitism levelled against the 79-year-old Pink Floyd co-founder.
A statement issued by Frankfurt City Council said: “The background to the cancellation is the persistent anti-Israel behaviour of the former Pink Floyd frontman, who is considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world.
“He repeatedly called for a cultural boycott of Israel and drew comparisons to the apartheid regime in South Africa, and put pressure on artists to cancel events in Israel.”
However, an update posted on Waters’ Instagram page indicates the concert will proceed as scheduled.
Frankfurt Council were legally required to respond to Roger Waters’ interim injunction by midnight April 14. Did they? Nobody knows”
“Frankfurt Council were legally required to respond to Roger Waters’ interim injunction by midnight April 14. Did they? Nobody knows,” says the post. “We can only guess at what’s going on in Frankfurt. Are they playing for time? Who knows? Not that it matters much. We’re coming anyway! Because human rights matter! Because free speech matters!”
Waters said last month that he was taking legal action, describing the moves to cancel the concert as “unconstitutional”, as well as “without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not”.
American journalist Katie Halper launched a petition last month, backed by a raft of high-profile signatories, demanding for Waters’ upcoming concerts in Germany to be allowed to go ahead. Almost 35,000 people have now signed the petition including artists Eric Clapton, Brian Eno, Nick Mason, Peter Gabriel and Tom Morello.
“We artists, musicians, writers, and other public figures and organisations are deeply disturbed by the recent efforts by German officials to discredit and silence musician Roger Waters,” it reads.
“Officials in Germany, concert organisers, and music platforms must not succumb to the pressure of those individuals and groups who would rather see Waters’ music removed than engage with the issues his music highlights. We call on those who have cancelled Waters’ concerts to reverse their decisions.”
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Artists support Roger Waters over German gig ban
Artists including Eric Clapton, Brian Eno, Nick Mason, Peter Gabriel and Tom Morello are among more than 10,000 people to have signed a petition demanding for Roger Waters’ upcoming concerts in Germany to be allowed to go ahead.
Waters was scheduled to perform at Munich’s Olympiahalle and Festhalle Frankfurt on 21 and 28 May, respectively, as part of the German leg of his This Is Not a Drill tour.
However, the dates have become shrouded in controversy, with Munich City Council and the city of Frankfurt attempting to block the Pink Floyd co-founder from performing over allegations of antisemitism.
In response, Waters said last week that he is taking legal action over the “unconstitutional” move, which he says is “without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not”.
“Mr Waters believes that if this blatant attempt to silence him is left unchallenged it could have serious, far-reaching consequences for artists and activists all over the world,” concluded the statement issued by the 79-year-old’s management.
“We… are deeply disturbed by the recent efforts by German officials to discredit and silence musician Roger Waters”
Launched by American journalist Katie Halper, the new petition is backed by a raft of high-profile signatories also including intellectual Noam Chomsky, actor Susan Sarandon, film directors Ken Loach and Terry Gilliam, and musician Robert Wyatt.
“We artists, musicians, writers, and other public figures and organisations are deeply disturbed by the recent efforts by German officials to discredit and silence musician Roger Waters,” it reads.
“The Frankfurt City Council says that they cancelled Waters’ concert ‘set a clear signal against anti-Semitism’, describing the musician as ‘one of the most widely spread anti-Semites in the world’. As evidence, the council says that Waters ‘repeatedly called for a cultural boycott of Israel and drew comparisons to the apartheid regime in South Africa and put pressure on artists to cancel events in Israel’.
“There is no other evidence other than these two claims: that Waters has supported the Palestinian-led cultural boycott of Israel campaign and that he has compared contemporary Israel’s government to the apartheid regime in South Africa. Neither of these claims is unique to Waters or outside the boundaries of mainstream public opinion.”
It concludes: “Officials in Germany, concert organisers, and music platforms must not succumb to the pressure of those individuals and groups who would rather see Waters’ music removed than engage with the issues his music highlights. We call on those who have cancelled Waters’ concerts to reverse their decisions.”
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Roger Waters takes legal action over axed gigs
Roger Waters is taking legal action over moves to cancel his upcoming concerts in Frankfurt and Munich.
The Pink Floyd co-founder was scheduled to perform in Germany at Barclays Arena in Hamburg (7 May), Cologne’s Lanxess Arena (9 May), Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin (17-18 May), Munich’s Olympiahalle (21 May) and Festhalle Frankfurt (28 May) as part of his This Is Not a Drill tour.
However, the dates have become shrouded in controversy, with the city of Frankfurt attempting to block Waters from performing over allegations of antisemitism. The site is also of historical significance as Jewish Telegraph Agency notes that the Festhalle was the site of the deportation of 3,000 Jews to their deaths during the Holocaust, just after Kristallnacht.
A statement issued by Frankfurt City Council says: “The background to the cancellation is the persistent anti-Israel behaviour of the former Pink Floyd frontman, who is considered one of the most widely spread antisemites in the world.
“He repeatedly called for a cultural boycott of Israel and drew comparisons to the apartheid regime in South Africa, and put pressure on artists to cancel events in Israel.”
Munich City Council is also looking to ban the 79-year-old from performing in the city, alleging that he “keeps stirring up antisemitic resentment”, as well as “spreading conspiracy ideologies that relativise and justify Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine”.
“Mr Waters has instructed his lawyers to immediately take all necessary steps to overturn this unjustifiable decision”
However, through a statement issued by his management, Waters has hit back at the “unconstitutional” course of action, which he says is “without justification, and based upon the false accusation that Roger Waters is antisemitic, which he is not”.
“As a result of this unilateral, politically motivated action, Mr Waters has instructed his lawyers to immediately take all necessary steps to overturn this unjustifiable decision to ensure that his fundamental human right of freedom of speech is protected and that all of those who wish to see him perform, are free to do so in Frankfurt, Munich and in any other city in any other country,” reads the statement.
“Mr Waters believes that if this blatant attempt to silence him is left unchallenged it could have serious, far-reaching consequences for artists and activists all over the world.”
Last month, a cross-party group of politicians in Germany joined forces to demand the cancellation of Waters’ Cologne date due to his comments on the war in Ukraine. Two scheduled concerts by Waters at Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland, were cancelled last year over the same issue.
Subsequently invited by Moscow to address the UN Security Council via video link last month, Waters used the platform to condemn Russia’s “illegal” invasion of Ukraine “in the strongest possible terms”, but repeated his claim that it “was not unprovoked, so I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms”.
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Calls to cancel Roger Waters’ Germany concerts
A cross-party group of politicians in Germany have joined forces to demand the cancellation of Roger Waters’ upcoming gig in Cologne due to the Pink Floyd co-founder’s comments on the war in Ukraine.
According to DW, councillors have sent an open letter to management of the city’s Lanxess Arena – where the 79-year-old is due to perform on 9 May – calling on them to “to do everything they can to prevent the concert”.
Invited by Moscow to address the UN Security Council via video link earlier this month, Waters used the platform to condemn Russia’s “illegal” invasion of Ukraine “in the strongest possible terms”, but repeated his claim that it “was not unprovoked, so I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms”.
“The only sensible course of action today is to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine,” he added.
Last year, two scheduled concerts in Poland by Waters were cancelled amid controversy over his comments on the Ukraine war
An alliance of Jewish groups is also reportedly calling for the cancellation of Waters’ 28 May show at Festhalle Frankfurt, after accusing the artist of antisemitism. Waters is also scheduled to perform in Germany at Barclays Arena in Hamburg (7 May), Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin (17-18 May) and Munich’s Olympiahalle (21 May).
Last year, two scheduled concerts in Poland by Waters were cancelled amid controversy over his comments on the Ukraine war.
Waters, who was due to perform at Tauron Arena in Krakow in April this year as part of his This Is Not a Drill Tour, wrote an open letter to Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska, in which he claimed “extreme nationalists” had “set your country on the path to this disastrous war”. He also criticised the west for supplying Ukraine with weapons.
The letter prompted an angry response, with Krakow city councillor Łukasz Wantuch urging people to boycott the gigs.
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Roger Waters’ Poland gigs off amid Ukraine row
Two scheduled concerts in Poland by Roger Waters have been cancelled amid controversy over the Pink Floyd co-founder’s comments on the war in Ukraine.
The 79-year-old, who was due to perform at Tauron Arena in Krakow in April 2023 as part of his This Is Not a Drill Tour, wrote an open letter to Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska, in which he claimed “extreme nationalists” had “set your country on the path to this disastrous war”. He also criticised the west for supplying Ukraine with weapons.
The letter prompted an angry response, with Krakow city councillor Łukasz Wantuch urging people to boycott the gigs and the city council due to vote this week on a resolution to declare Waters persona non grata.
Promoter Live Nation Poland confirmed the shows will now no longer go ahead but did not give a reason for the cancellation. A spokesman for the venue declined to comment.
“I have been looking forward to sharing my message of love with the people of Poland”
Responding to an article in the Guardian, Waters denied claims his team had made the decision to cancel.
“Your papers are wrong in their assertions that either, I or my management, has cancelled my forthcoming shows in Krakow, we haven’t,” he says in a Facebook post. “It is true that a town councillor in Krakow, a Mr Łukasz Wantuch has threatened to hold a meeting asking the council to declare me ‘Persona non grata’ because of my public efforts to encourage all involved in the disastrous war in Ukraine, especially the governments of the USA and Russia, to work towards a negotiated peace.
“If Mr Łukasz Wantuch achieves his aim, and my forthcoming concerts in Krakow are cancelled, it will be a sad loss for me, because I have been looking forward to sharing my message of love with the people of Poland… His draconian censoring of my work will deny them the opportunity to make up their own minds.”
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The decade in live: 2012
The start of a new year and, perhaps more significantly, a new decade is fast approaching – and while many may be thinking ahead to New Year’s Eve plans and well-meaning 2020 resolutions, IQ is casting its mind back to the most pivotal industry moments of the last ten years.
As in the previous 12 months, 2012 saw the live music industry still grappling with the effects of the global economic crisis, with many countries just beginning to clamber out of recession and others heading for dreaded ‘double dips’.
This continuing economic uncertainty naturally bit into the leisure spend of discriminating ticket buyers with a variety of entertainment options – though the world did not, as predicted by some long-dead Mexicans, come to an end.
Elsewhere, the weather gods interfered with yet more festivals, while Hurricane Sandy had a devastating effect on the industry in the New York area. In the UK, meanwhile, the Olympics scored on many levels, but provided far too much competition for many.
2012 in numbers
The top 50 worldwide tours grossed a combined US$3 billion in 2012, according to Pollstar, down around 2% from $3.07bn in 2011.
Madonna’s MDNA tour was the clear No1, grossing $296.1 million, ahead of second-placed Bruce Springsteen, whose E Street Band earned $210.2m. Both acts played to more than 2m fans worldwide 2012.
Roger Waters’ The Wall generated $186.4m to come in at No3, and was also the highest-ranking hold-over from the 2011 chart, where he placed No5 with a gross of $103.6 million.
Reflecting the lingering impact of the financial crisis, the total tickets sold by the top 50 tours was 34.9m, which continued the decline from 35.5m the previous year (and well off the pace from 2009, when the top 50 sold 45.3 million, says Pollstar).
2012 in brief
January
FKP Scorpio buys a stake in Utrecht-based booking agency and artist management company Friendly Fire.
Touring festival Big Day Out calls time on its New Zealand leg after promoter Ken West admits that falling audience numbers have made the Auckland show unviable.
February
Madonna sparks controversy when she tells Newsweek magazine fans should “work all year, scrape the money together” for a $300 ticket to her MDNA tour.
March
Private-equity firm CVC Asia Pacific puts its Australian ticketing company, Ticketek, and Sydney’s Allphones Arena up for a sale in a bid to reduce a A$2.7bn (€2.1bn) debt run-up by Nine Entertainment, which owns the assets.
Stuart Galbraith buys out AEG’s 50% stake in Kilimanjaro Live for an undisclosed sum. Both parties say they will continue to work together on events in future. (Kili later cancels the 2012 edition of Sonisphere at Knebworth, which was to have featured Kiss, Faith No More and Marilyn Manson.)
Ebay-owned secondary ticketing service, StubHub, launches operations in the UK and admits it is looking at further expansion across Europe.
Roger Waters’s The Wall tour was the third most lucrative of 2012 (© Brennan Schnell/Eastscene.com/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0))
April
Serbian authorities arrest the venue owner and other individuals following a fire at the Contrast nightclub in Novi Sad that leaves six people dead.
Tupac Shakur, who died 15 years previous, is the main talking point at Coachella, as a multimillion-dollar hologram of the rapper appears on stage alongside Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg.
May
Viagogo raises eyebrows by shifting its operational base from the UK to Switzerland, amid speculation it wants to resell tickets for the Olympic Games without falling foul of British law.
Investment firm Silver Lake Partners completes a transaction to acquire a 31% stake in William Morris Endeavor.
June
Former AEG Germany CEO Detlef Kornett forms a venue consultancy, Verescon, with DEAG with Peter Schwenkow.
Swedish telecom operator Tele2 pays an undisclosed sum to secure naming rights for Stockholm’s new 40,000-capacity stadium, operated by AEG.
Paul McCartney, Mike Oldfield and Dizzee Rascal performed at the London 2012 opening ceremony (© Matt Deegan/Flickr (CC BY 2.0))
July
Live Nation appoints former CAA exec David Zedeck to the role of executive VP and president of global talent and artist development.
Artists including Paul McCartney, Mike Oldfield, Dizzee Rascal and Emeli Sandé are each paid £1 for their performances at the Olympics opening ceremony. The show attracts 26.9m viewers in the UK alone, and billions more worldwide.
August
Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot are jailed for two years each, after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.
September
AEG drops its claim against Lloyd’s of London on a multimillion-dollar insurance policy, following the death of Michael Jackson.
C3 Presents’ Lollapalooza debuted in Brazil in April (© Henrique Oli/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0))
October
Glastonbury Festival takes just 100 minutes to sell out all 135,000 tickets for next summer’s event, despite not naming a single act on the 2013 bill.
C3 Presents extends an arrangement with Globo Organization’s GEO for more events in Brazil, following a successful Lollapalooza.
November
AEG is awarded the contract to take over shows at London’s prestigious Hyde Park, ending Live Nation’s decade-long relationship with the 80,000-capacity space.
Frank Barsalona, founder of Premier Talent, dies aged 74. Premier was the first agency to work exclusively with rock artists, with clients including the Yardbirds, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, U2 and Van Halen.
December
The Wall Street Journal reports that a number of bidders are in contention to acquire AEG, despite a reported $10bn asking price.
Irving Azoff unexpectedly resigns as chairman of Live Nation and CEO of its Front Line Management Group, to concentrate on his own artist management company.
Who we lost
Notable industry deaths in 2012 included South by Southwest creative director Brent Grulke, Lasse Ollsen of Swedish promoter Viva Art Music, Jon Lord of Deep Purple, Armin Rahn, founder of Munich-based Armin Rahn Agency and Management, Radiohead drum tech Scott Johnson, Perth Arena general manager David Humphreys, R&B legend Etta James, pop powerhouse Whitney Houston, the Bee Gees’ Robin Gibb, disco diva Donna Summer, the Monkees’ Davy Jones and legendary agents Armin Rahm and Frank Barsalona.
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